There is no shock whatsoever at being told someone using the mass media is a liar, a fraud, someone who revels in making a buck from passing on complete and utter bull****. Since the inception of social media, the practice has ramped up with exceptional speed and fervor, thanks in large part to the manner with which FOX changed the landscape by marketing themselves as a "news" platform when in essence they are nothing more than a biased entertainment space delivering little, if any, real facts.
Of course, this isn't to say others haven't followed suit at varying levels. Newsmax is nothing more than a gathering of biased sycophants using their airwaves as a way being cozy with the portion of America that swallows their lies and, they hope, in the end makes them all famous and wealthy. One America News is, thankfully, little more than a spit stain on the media tunic, having been cowered into submission by lawsuits and a laughable collection of intellectually deficient walking amoebas.
And on the "other" side of this coin, MSNBC carved out a niche feeding into their biased audience, though certainly not even close to the level of lying and fraud as those outlets previously mentioned. CNN still does an exceptional job of covering the news from a journalistic standpoint, but manages to lower their overall level of believability when they pander to audiences with the usual cast of so-called "expert" characters propped up on often interminably dull panel discussions.
The news media of the 21st Century has given us new insight and exposure to levels of lying. Oh, let's not be so naive as to think this is something original. But thanks to innumerable media sources, we are bombarded with little white lies, tiny lies, slightly larger lies, somewhat misleading lies, personal vendetta lies, greedy lies, lies seeking power and fame, lies of omission and lies of passion. They've all been around for generations, yet are amplified when they are so readily accessible and smack us right in the puss whether we like it or not.
Which brings us to the bold-faced liar. The ones who will knowingly tell a falsehood for no other reason than to garner attention to themselves, create clickbait, raise their popularity, appeal to their band of addled masses, and be completely comfortable in being known as a liar. They do so to not merely draw attention to themselves, but often to prove their marketing viability to their employer, those who demand they stay in the public eye bringing attention, clicks, eyeballs and profit to their platform.
They are the most insulting of "commentators". They are not journalists. They are not truly expert in anything they speak of. They are the mass media molded cartoon characters of what passes for media and personalities in our clickbait muddled society. They are nothing more than program talking heads, propped up and preened for the enjoyment of the intellectually lazy. At worst, they are at the core of what has truly dumbed America down into a pit of anger. At best, they are bottom of the barrel actors who in another era would be better served to be spokespeople for the new "Veg-O-Matic". Which beings us to a leader in the blathering waste material of what is truly the base for "fake news", Maria Bartiromo from FOX. I defer calling it "FOX News" because, like so many of their boorish brethren, they have no credence whatsoever to be called a purveyor of news, instead a bastion of profitable propaganda nonsense.
Where once there was the hint of a serious journalist who actually covered and delivered financial news on legitimate outlets, the once-deemed "Money Honey" at CNBC bolted for FOX and immediately became a mouthpiece for Donald Trump, softball interviews to the candidate and then President, and admitted purveyor of conspiracy theories that were, from the onset, nothing more than lies and misinformation. She has made quite a name for herself in being a well-known part of the roiling stench that is news fraud.
A large part of her not really giving a tinkers damn about what I or anyone else think of her duplicity is her marriage to a billionaire and an estimated $10M a year contract at FOX. Keep in mind, though, it is her propensity for wild accusations and varying levels of lies that keep her in the good graces and signed paychecks from FOX. It's always about the clicks and ratings, kids.
Her most recent odiferous typing was on X, claiming that she was told by what seems to be "a friend of a friend of a friend", (certainly the height of journalism), that Democrats were registering (illegal) immigrants to vote at several sites in Texas. Nothing to back it up. No attempt at contacting those who could put the record straight. Just a screeching babble that almost immediately outraged her empty-headed followers who also did nothing more than take her word for it.
It was a complete and utter fabrication. Never happened. Proof it was just a hyperbolic spit with not an ounce of truth behind it.
A lie.
When contacted to discuss her lies, Bartiromo, of course, refused to comment or even acknowledge any question about what she said with complete conviction.
This isn't the first time Bartiromo shoveled bovine excrement along the conspiratorial airwaves. She's rather good at it. Already deep into preparing America for what she and others have deemed "The Big Lie 2.0" regarding this November's election. The excellent fact-checking source of "Politifact" has been forced into a cottage industry of sorts tracking her various lies. She's even rather proud of the stir she caused in a shouting match with former Attorny General Bill Barr over imagined, concoted "voter fraud".
Maria Bartiromo is a proud, unabashed, creative, serial liar. She cannot, and should never, be trusted that anything out of her maw has an inkling of fact behind it. She has made a small fortune being a torch bearer for what is the actual and recordable "fake news". Yet, she has no shame about it whatsoever. She continues to spit lies on a daily pace, and is rewarded handsomely by FOX for bringing attention to her shreiking on their platform, keeping their sycophants giddy and their advertisers thrilled.
Now, whether you are a fan or foe of FOX and others who have nothing behind their approach to "news" than clicks, views and profit, here are the simple questions.
Are you completely comfortable relying on your news and information coming from someone on a platform that deals in lies as the backbone of their so-called "information"?
Knowing full well how exposed Maria Bartiromo has been with her innumerable lies, rumors, innuendo and provable false assertions, why would you trust anything she says?
Finally, what does it say about you if indeed you are a devotee of Bartiromo or anyone else who lies so easily? If you swallow it all whole, if you are one who passes on this level of lie and fraud so easily on your social media or in your personal life, why should anyone trust anything you havs to say?
Out of 100 people, 99 may not give a damn about your lying or continuation of lies.
Then, there is that one who will never trust you again. That one who could impact everything you've worked for, potentially causing you and your family great harm.
Consider those ripple effects, and what it says to others about you and your abilisty to be trusted.
Once it sticks, the stain never goes away. Right, Maria? Ed Berliner is a loyal hockey & Boston Bruins fan, a protector of puppies, a SAG/AFTRA actor in films, and an Emmy Award winning News & Sports broadcaster who is a tireless educator and speaker on broadcast & social media and how it affects every facet of our lives. Contact him about virtual and on-location speaking events at berlinerspeaks@gmail.com.
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